Classical Stuff You Should Know

In this episode, Thomas takes us through the ancient understanding of despair--both its symptoms and its remedies.

In this episode, Graeme takes us through the theology of Milton's paradise lost. Even if you never plan on reading this mountain of a book, it's a good way to delve into the theology of Adam and Eve.

In this episode, A.J. takes us through an alternative to the five paragraph essay that is more useful for everyone, including those of us no longer in school. Need to convince someone of something? You can use this.

A lively tour of Aristotle’s take on friendship and why it follows justice. They map three types of friendship—pleasure, utility, and excellence—and why virtuous bonds are rare. Discussion moves to how law and government shape friendships, rulers’ loneliness, and parallels with social media. The episode closes on friendship as essential to a flourishing life.

A lively walk through medieval reading practice as Dante’s four senses of Scripture are unpacked. They compare modern seminary methods with literal, allegorical, moral, and anagogical approaches. The conversation contrasts devotional, academic, and theological reading styles and warns about imbalances when one mode dominates. Medieval links to apostles and the Divine Comedy add historical color.

A lively dive into Dorothy Sayers' influence on modern classical education. They trace the trivium as a learning method and unpack Sayers' stages of student development. The conversation covers Latin's role, the medieval thesis and modern senior theses, and how to channel adolescent argument into disciplined debate. They close by debating whether the trivium alone equips students for real-world life.

A lively exploration of the idea of an ideal life and how classical education shapes what students love. They discuss myth and example versus dialectic as ways to teach moral ideals. Conversations range from Pericles and Cicero to C.S. Lewis and the Tao. Practical classroom strategies and the role of teachers as living models are highlighted.

A lively tour of the trivium: grammar, logic, and rhetoric as tools for learning and living. They map the three stages onto childhood, adolescence, and mature expression. Practical examples include literature and pottery to show how technique, reason, and style connect. Discussions cover medieval ideas, when to teach creativity, and how knowledge becomes genuine action.

A lively dive into Josef Pieper's idea that leisure is contemplative receptivity and celebration. They trace leisure’s roots in the word scole and debate whether craft or philosophy count as true leisure. The conversation tackles mechanization, the Sabbath as shared rest, and how wonder and reading can cultivate a leisure mindset.

A lively tour of the seven deadly sins and their classical remedies. They trace lust, gluttony, greed, prodigality, sloth, wrath, envy, and pride through Dante and Aquinas. Discussions include Purgatory's corrective practices, how virtues like charity and diligence counter each sin, and applying virtue education to real life.